Greyscale, gauche
All posts by Kevin L. Gonzalez
Staccato & Legato Draft
I had a really fun time putting the different patterns together. This is the one I’ve decided to use.
My Walk Through Brooklyn
I decided to take my walk in the general direction of the waterfront. So, as you leave campus through the Jay street entrance, make a right, and go straight until you see the first street to the city and family court. Instead of crossing, make another right and head straight up that street where all of the loading trucks usually park. Cross the 2 sets of streets that hold what seem to be home to the main traffic of the entire borough. Keep straight by the post office until you reach Columbus park. Head down towards the Borough Hall station, or the Barnes and Noble down that way. Once you get the chance to, cross the street with a right turn. Walk straight down past all of the old looking homes and storefronts lined with green trees. A few blocks down you should be passing a court made of white slab, contrasting against the old brownstones around it. After another 5 minutes or so you should be at my destination, the waterfront. From here, you can see Manhattan’s southern skyline. This is where my cities juxtaposed. The view of Manhattan without the Trade Center that I KNOW was there, and a view where I knew it was not. It was sort of an empty experience, since ever seeing the trade center was always a blur. I remember it being there but over time I mostly remember it not being there. Two cities clashing and coexisting at one point.
Project #1, Reflection
The first project we had was to introduce ourselves here on the OpenLab. Pretty easy since we already did this in class basically. Secondly, commenting on peer work. I learned a little bit more about how to describe myself, as well as some things about everyone in class.
I feel like what I got out of this was getting to know some people more without the awkwardness of going up to them and striking conversation. This helps because sometimes, most of the time, I keep to myself and tend to stay out of the way. I think I did a pretty good job in describing myself overall when it came to why I chose certain images for certain things. What I could’ve worked on was dedication. Not because of the work involved, but because of my time management. I am torn between school and work and finding time to sit down and work can be challenging. I’m adapting still to this new addition to an already packed schedule, but I will persevere and manage everything better and efficiently.
Trip.
Our first trip was down to lower Manhattan, to a zine exhibit being held at the center for book arts, and to the Rubin Museum. I really enjoyed my time there, so much that I zoned out while I was taking in everything that was there. Many pieces were really captivating to me not only because of their content, but of the diversity that sat in that room. We were given a small “tour” and learned a bit about printing and type, I found that whole process really great, much better and personal than modern print (but i still would choose modern over old fashioned any day!). At the museum, we took a look at the Francesco Clemente installation. It was a collaboration of his works throughout the 80’s up to now, based on his experiences in India. I was drawn to the piece called “Hunger”. It depicted a common man taking a bite out of the serpent eating its own tail, or the Ouroborus. It shows a cycle of life, a rebirth if you will. It meant to me that the beliefs in India were those of reincarnation and man’s “hunger” to pursue that. I wrote a few pages about it in my sketchbook.
This work in particular really grabbed my attention at the center for book arts as I browsed through it. The authors remark at the bottom was one that to me signaled a relationship between the reader and author, one of the author being completely comfortable being themselves to the reader. I thought that this level of honesty and lack of censorship is what I’d be comfortable with.
I do hope one for one project we will in turn, create our own zines and mass produce them for our classmates and even the school if we feel like it. I had a good time.
Project #1
I’ve been doing art for as long as I can remember, it’s one of the only things I’m truly confident in myself with and that I thoroughly enjoy. I see myself somewhere among the ranks in the gaming industry in 5 years, specifically in story boarding and character design. I really hope to be in a field that has to do with the study of the cosmos, space is a secondary but strong passion of mine. My art style is rooted in horror and sci-fi/fantasy. I get so caught up in detail that I lose myself in it, and that is what I believe my design aesthetic is.
My avatar, being a goat’s face, describes me pretty well. Throughout all of high school and even middle school, my friends would say I resembled one – that it was my spirit animal – and I agreed with them. They’re my favorite animal. I eat everything in sight and my beard is usually atrocious enough to resemble one. As for my header image, it a photograph of our Earth, as taken from the International Space Station. I chose this image because space is what I believe makes me, me. Without it, I wouldn’t have thought of any of my creatures, any of my drawings or sketches. My wonder would have been limited to imagination and everything known to me about this world we live on. I chose it because it represented the endless possibilities around us.
When others look at my profile, their thoughts might be geared toward a different direction. My avatar might be perceived as myself being someone who is evil to some cultures and religions, or that I’m hairy and gross. As for my header image, someone might have said that I’m spaced out all the time. Even that I have aspirations of being an astronaut, or that I’m just insinuating that I’m zoned out all the time.
My ePortfolio will consist of everything I believe is a display of myself progressing towards my goals. It will show my growth as an artist and as a human being, able to expand and contribute to others as well as myself. This is important because without it, I’d have nothing to show for when the time came to, if indeed the time came. Whether its for a job interview that wants to research my work, review my artistic career and progress, or to prove myself as a viable and legitimate artist in this world.
View From My Window: Research
Taking a look out my window, I see nothing but the tops of scaffolding and the broken limbs of dying trees. It’s very hard to get a good perspective on what’s outside, when there’s only a dull ocean of blue paint with the wood shining out from the chips in the poor coat. It’s an awkward position, being low enough that all you can see is the tops of scaffolding, but high enough so the window isn’t covered by the sides of them. I see windows, from the opposing building as well as from the hospital across the street. the windows are bare, mostly, and give off all different types of light. I can see the terraces of far off neighbors, and the AC units of households trying to stay cool. The leaves and bark litter the top of the scaffolding like debris after a bad storm. The occasional animal scurries along, or flies by, but I haven’t seen human foot traffic in a long time. The sky above me is dark.. I work late and I’m up early.. I don’t get the chance to see a great sunrise or sunset. I’m working on thumbnails, but so far have scrapped a lot of potential ideas. Everything in the view from my window is all the same, generic. I’m hoping to find a new perspective, maybe from a different window – away from home.
Welcome!
This is the first post on your Learning Blog. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
The ePortfolio is both a Learning Blog and an Academic Career Portfolio. Use the Learning Blog to document your learning experiences and class assignments each semester. As time goes by, add content to the Academics and Career sections to show your department, graduate institutions, or future employers how well prepared you are for your chosen career.
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